Tommy:

You're showing pictures of bunkers again.

The second photo is clearly a change, however.  Since the numbers were changed I have no idea what hole is what at Atlantic, but none of them had any side-to-side swing to the fairway such as what is depicted there.

Tommy,

I would love to see a before picture of that first photo, which I think is the Par 3 over in the corner of that property. Wasn't it more Redanish looking before?

I always thought Atlantic got a bad rap here, and now it looks even better than it did before.

If Rees hired Jeff Bradley to do his bunker work, maybe even you would start drinking the Rees juice!  

More pretty bunkers.

John,
I have seen the course. (part of it)

Tom Doak,
The images were sent to me, I didn't take them. Also, if you the really look at the images I take nowadays, its always trying to use ALL of the features I can get in the frame. I have learned this over a few years, that what composition is, placing all of the parts that make the image. Also, only a few of us can be so gifted and talented as a writer/photographer/golf architect/jet setter such as yourself!  

  If you ever want to see a perfectly conditioned golf course it is this one.  Bob Ranum is OBSESSED with perfection and was formerly at The Garden City Golf Club. He's also a golf architecture wacko and could probably build a course on his own which would please the Treehouse.

Maybe some of us would distinguish between a 'perfectly conditioned' course and 'perfectly manicured' course. And maybe some of us would just prefer an excellent playable course, and possibly find overly manicured courses rather ostentatious? Not to suggest that said super is not doing exactly what has been asked of him, and doing so excellently.

Ed Getka,

The holes play differently as bunkers are added and repositioned along with approaches the greens.

Some of the mounding has been eliminated, some softened.
But, with the development of large homes on property immediately adjacent to the golf course, I'm not so sure the barrier mounds should be altered.

Lloyd Cole,

What has been asked of him ?

Bobby Ranum, Rick Hartmann and others "get it"

The golf course is well conditioned, which most untrained eyes don't see.  Instead many focus on the manicuring, which is the ONLY thing they see.

WAE,

The first photo is # 11 a terrific, short par three that usually plays into or with a right to left wind.

I think the second picture may be # 2, the third picture # 6 and the last picture # 9.

Anthony Nysse,

That's an understatement.

Mike Sweeney,

The fellow doing a lot of the field work, including the bunkers is Josh Keith.

# 11 looks much improved and the small tilted target coupled with the effect of the wind make it a great little hole.

Cary Lichtenstein,

You must be kidding.

RGKeller,

That's what this group likes.  
I'd dare say that's what they tend to focus on

John Kavanaugh,

I can attest to the ongoing improvements.

Tom Doak,

They've also added some cross bunkering on # 13 and moved greenside bunkers such as at # 10, thus opening up the approach areas.

Plans are underway to lengthen # 16 and shorten # 17, making it a driveable par 4.

Most, if not all of the work should be done by spring of 07

Bobby Ranum, Rick Hartman, Dick Gilbert, Bob Morrow and others involved are making substantive improvements to the golf course.

Like many courses on the East End, Atlantic benefits from a fairly steady and strong breeze.

The East End of Long Island may have the finest concentration of golf courses anywhere.

Montauk
Maidstone
East Hampton,
Noyack
Atlantic
The Bridge
NGLA
Sebonack
Shinnecock
Southampton
Westhampton
Friar's Head
Laurel Links
Long Island National

And probably a few others I've forgotten.

I don't think there's any doubt that the clearing of shrubs and trees at NGLA and SH had a dramatic affect on other courses, likewise, the introduction of Friar's Head had a similar effect.
It will be interesting to see what impact Sebonack has on courses in that area and beyond.

What Atlantic really needs is some WW2 bomber treatment, a la Stonehaven or Domburgsche, in its fairways.  Character isn't the course's strong point.

11th look  now....inspired by PVGC's 10th?  (The 11th was/is the best hole at Atlantic IMO)

Mr. Cole,
  I believe that Bobby has been there since Atlantic opened back in 1992. To clear up my statment earlier, Atlantic is the best conditioned course on Long Island, but ALWAYS plays like it should-fast, incredibly fast at time, and firm-sand topdressing of fairways and careful control over hte watering program. They "get it."
  SPDB,
  The removal of the shrubs and undergrown at NGLA and SH has vastly improved the quality of turf and allowed for things to play firmer on a much more consistant basis. When Karl Olsen was at NGLA, (Now at Desert Forest-lucky them!!) he was the first super to really do a documented tree removal and shrubs removal program. I've heard numbers in the 1000's, and he returned NGLA to what it once was. Same with Mark Michaud at SH-The removal of brush and undergrown prior to the '04 is incredible-Returned SH to it's glory.

Tony Nysse
Asst. Supt.
Long Cove Club
HHI, SC

Having not played Atlantic, it would be instructive to see some before shots.  

Anybody got some?

SPDB,
  It just made all other courses, not just on Long Island, but all over America, aware of what tree removal and undergrowth removal can to course/turf conditions. It's part of returning the original character to the course, also.

Tony Nysse
Asst. Supt.
Long Cove Club
HHI, SC

SPDB,
  As with many GCA threads, this one starts out a certain way and then take off onto a different topic. The bunkering at Atlantic aside, MANY people know what the removal of shrubs and tree removal can do to a course as it was talked about overe and over at the 2004 Open. There has also been a large write up in Golf Digest and I believe SI about the tree removal program at Oakmont. Continuing this topic of removal....much of this started with Karl Olsen at NGLA as he began to restore it-Do you not think that other Supt hear what eachother are doing, maybe stop by eachother's courses to see what they're doing? Karl and Co. almost single handly return NGLA to it's glory-They moved up in the rankings and many course like that. They moved up because the course was playing like it was designed, the turf conditions return to f&f and full coverage-NGLA was the first of the big courses to do a tree removal-Oakmont, Winged Foot, Shinnecock, Baltusrol, Quaker Ridge, Medinah, Butler National, Oak Hill, etc....all moved up in rankings, we pushed back into the spotlight, but more importantly, allowed the course to play like they wer designed. We've removed over 100 trees this year at Long Cove-trying to open up more air movement and more sun on to greens as Pete designed them-In the 25 years LCC has been around, we've found that many of these pines grow 2+ feet a year-Many of these courses were not intended to have alot of tree grown, but as time went by and other greens committies made changes to the course like planting trees, the intended designs changed.

Tony Nysse
Asst. Supt.
Long Cove Club
HHI, SC